Eilís they/them

@eilymay

Early career researcher. Neurodiversity and criminal justice. Yapping into the void. Sharing passing thoughts on books (mostly fantasy, mostly queer), Formula 1, and, from time to time, law. 🌈

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Eilís they/them@eilymay· May 5

Tried to get Day 2 done before midnight, but Bluesky deleted it, and I was too frustrated to redo it. So here we go. Day 2, B: Has to be Babel, RF Kuang. The coolest magic system I have read. My only issue was that the queer subtext remained subtext. Those boys deserved to kiss. #BookChallenge

The front cover of Babel by R.F. Kuang, which depicts a black-and-white 19th-century Oxford, accompanied by the words "An Arcane History".

Eilís they/them@eilymay· May 3

Ok this looks fun. Day 1, A: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid I devoured this book in a long weekend and even then it was hard to pull myself away from it to do, like, life stuff. Intoxicating. Space. Lesbians. What more do you need? #BookChallenge #QueerBooks

The UK/Ireland cover of Taylor Jenkins Reid's book Atmosphere, with the subtitle A Love Story. The cover shows a rocket in the distance heading towards space while foregrounding the clouds painted pink and orange by the sun, contrasting with the clear blue sky through which the rocket flies.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Apr 17

I love an art break-out group. Had fun collaging at the UnConference on Reconceptualising Disability in Education, which took place @uniofgalway.bsky.social yesterday. Not quite sure where my academic path takes me post-PhD, but hoping to integrate more creative methods as a means of inclusion.

An eclectic collage. Predominant colours are blue and purple. The word hello appears in the top left corner, spelled out in gold letters atop an effervescent backdrop. Next to it, a feather. The word carbolic on yellowed paper atop a velvety piece of fabric depicting part of a bird's wing. The jeopardy of life on yellowed paper draws the eye to a flash of shiny green and gold paper next to an eye that appears above the word power. Who has it? Who doesn't? A 1960s era man with his hands on his hips, perhaps - he has been cut off at the waist. The words "they're dynamic" on yellowed paper next to a hot air balloon on blue paper. Beauty. purple card, the sun, a goddess. Mushrooms. A purple pipe cleaner sculpture. You can always depend on bees. And googly eyes. A 1960s era white woman and child with a large X through them. Girl. War. I would be lost without.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Feb 1

I have been reading for at least 45 minutes a day this month as part of a reading challenge. Sometimes it's hard to do the 45 minutes, but I'm really enjoying it! Fave read for January was definitely RF Kuang's Babel. Incredible book with such a clever magic system. #BookSky

eily_may's January 2026 Reads from the Storygraph. The graphic shows three different book covers with star ratings. Now She is Witch by Kirsty Logan - 3.75 stars. Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid - 3 stars. Babel by RF Kuang - 4.75 stars.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Jan 12

Book #2 of 2026 is Babel, which @frankiegolucky.bsky.social has been trying to get me to read for a while now. I'm about a third of the way through, and it's an incredible book. I absolutely adore the magic system that RF Kuang has devised. #BookSky

The front cover of RF Kuang's Babel. The cover is in grayscale with "Babel" inscribed from top to bottom. The cityscape of Oxford serves as a backdrop, filled with dreaming spires and rising domes. Several birds are also depicted on the front cover.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Jan 10

Ah, this is pretty tho. We got the tiniest bit that I snapped in a much less pretty picture.

A lightly snow covered backyard with a crisp blue sky and wispy clouds. A garage and boundary wall as well as the gable end of a house are portrayed along with the best dog, Tiny, a sheepdog who loves treats more than working.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Jan 6

First book of 2026 - Now She Is Witch by Kirsty Logan. A vivid imagined portrayal of what it might have been like to be a woman in medieval Europe, particularly during the witch trials. A gift from @frankiegolucky.bsky.social for our annual January book exchange. #BookSky

The front cover of Kirsty Logan's novel Now She is Witch. The cover is a dark navy with the title surrounded by a thorn wreath of leaves, berries, and mushrooms. Also depicted on the cover is a half moon, a dagger, a butterfly, a wolf and a hare.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Jan 1

I was really pleasantly surprised by my reading wrap-up for 2025. I read 16 books, 6 books over my goal of 10. Finally feel like I'm getting over my post-2020 reading slump so that's exciting. #BookSky

Front covers of books I read in 2025 from left to right: Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth, Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin, Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron. Now for the Samantha Shannon section: Day of Fallen Night, The Priory of the Orange Tree, The Bone Season, The Mime Order, The Pale Dreamer, The Song Rising, The Mask Falling, The Dark Mirror and The Dawn Chorus. Then finished out the year with The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, The Almanac A Seasonal Guide to 2025 by Lia Leendertz, Instant Witch by Megan Archer.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Dec 25

My reading updates have been few and far between of late, as I try to finish my PhD. One book I have been dipping into each month is Lia Leendertz's 2025 Almanac, which has been such a joy. 5 ⭐ from me, and I'm looking forward to the 2026 edition. #BookSky

The front cover of The Almanac A Seasonal Guide to 2025 by Lia Leendertz. The front cover is a dark blue and features illustrations of the moon, shooting stars, a bird, dandelions and ferns. The front cover also has text that reads "The original and bestselling almanac."

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Oct 27

Smaller homes with no daylight are not a solution to the lack of affordable housing. Neither is excluding disabled people through an exemption on the requirement to have a lift in a four storey building. Tells me all I need to know about this think tank. progressireland.org/the-blueprin...

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Oct 11

I'm a bit late sharing, but I read one fiction book in September. PhD is wrapping up, so not much surplus brain space. But I could not put it down once I started reading Sunrise on the Reaping. Great book, although, can I say, poor Haymitch! He has a tough time in this one. 5⭐ #BookSky

A graphic showing @eily_may's September 2025 Reads from StoryGraph. The front cover of Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on the Reaping is shown with a five star rating. The front cover is purple with a gold flint striker depicting a snake and a bird with their mouths open.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Sep 27

Reading my sister's copy of Sunrise on the Reaping and I love that this beautiful image of a songbird and a snake is hidden underneath the dust jacket. #BookSky

The front cover of a hardback edition of Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on the Reaping. The cover of the book is a rich purple inscribed in red with a snake and a bird facing one another. Both the snake's mouth and the bird's beak are open, suggesting an antagonism between them. Beneath them lie a number of points which could symbolise the sun, or perhaps are pointed spears. I haven't finished the book so please don't come for me on interpretation of the cover!!!

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Sep 27

Fiction has taken a back seat as I work through (hopefully!) the final months of my PhD. I'm about halfway through Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on the Reaping. Coincidentally, @frankiegolucky.bsky.social and I bought a Nepenthes plant this week. And so every time Haymitch mentions it, I smile.

Three houseplants in a window, two of which are carnivorous. A Nepenthes hangs from the window handle with large cups that trap insects. The Nepenthes has four light green cups with red rims around the opening of the cups. On the windowsill is a pitcher plant, with long stems and wide openings to lure unsuspecting insects. The stems are green and the tops of the plant are red. Alongside the pitcher plant is a begonia with dark petals. The photo is framed by a purple and cream curtain to the right, and you can see through the window to a front garden lawn and cobble driveway. Trees and hedgerows are also visible in the background

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Aug 2

Another slow month in terms of reading. I really enjoyed Marie Rutkoski's The Midnight Lie,, and I hope to start the sequel soon. #BookSky

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Jul 19

I've been working my way, slowly, through Naomi Klein's Doppelganger. Slowly, as there is only so much I can take of right-wing conspiracism at any one time. My main takeaway, so far, is how the political climate has changed since its publication. #BookSky

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Jul 12

June was such a busy month, so I didn't finish any books. I did start this one - The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski. Initially, it didn't capture my attention, but as the world within the book has widened, I've found myself enthralled. I'm sensing there won't be a happy end for our protagonists.

The front cover of Marie Rutkoski's The Midnight Lie. The picture depicts a bottle containing a blue flower with pink petals. Curled around the bottle are two snakes. Flower motifs surround the edge of the cover.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Jul 6

Regardless of the final result, Nico Hulkenberg is my driver of the day. #F1 #BritishGP

Driver of the day vote for Nico Hulkenberg, 27, Kick Sauber. Nico Hulkenberg is pictured - a white man with blond spiky hair wearing the Kick Sauber gear in black and green with Stake the most prominent sponsor

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Jun 24

Really looking forward to presenting at the Critical Neurodiversity Studies conference this week @durhamimh.bsky.social I'm excited to discuss my research on neurodiversity and criminal responsibility with a group familiar with neurodiversity as I'm usually presenting at law conferences!

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Jun 19

Summer School has finished for another year! Sharing my finished craftivism: a weaving piece in the nonbinary flag colours of black, purple, white and yellow. The word REST is spelt out in black thread and capital letters. Our craftivism theme this year was rest as radical self-care. #16thDSS

A weaving piece in the nonbinary flag colours of black, purple, white and yellow. The word REST is spelt out in black thread and in capital letters

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Jun 17

Day Two just kicking off of the 16th International Disability Law Summer School on Disabled Activism in an Age of Far Right Resurgence. Craftivism is one of my favourite parts of summer school. Here I am weaving during one of yesterday's sessions! #16thDSS

A seated person weaves on a handheld loom. The picture is taken from behind their shoulder. Two laptops can be seen in the shot displaying a sign language interpreter and a zoom webinar. The person is weaving in an auditorium and the seats and podium at the front are visible. The person weaving is white, has short brown hair, is wearing glasses, watermelon earrings, a maroon top with a blue lanyard and blue trousers. They have a purple bracelet on their right wrist.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Jun 4

Forgot to post my May reading. These put me over my 10-book reading goal for 2025. The Dark Mirror is my favourite of the Bone Season books, and I'm excited to see where this series goes. Although a little sad to leave Samantha Shannon land until the next Roots of Chaos book comes out. #BookSky

A graphic showing eily_may's May 2025 reads. The front covers of each of the books are pictured along with eily_may's rating. All books are by Samantha Shannon. From left to right: The Mask Falling, 3 stars; The Dark Mirror, 4.25 stars and The Dawn Chorus, 1 star.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· May 25

Voted for George Russell entirely for the lolz. This #MonacoGP has been a tedious watch. #Formula1

Screenshot of my driver of the day vote for George Russell for Mercedes

Eilís they/them@eilymay· May 24

Was really looking forward to an hour spent in @kennysbookshop.bsky.social today. Left upset and angry at the lack of accessibility due to their (recent?) practice of stacking books on the floor. I was so upset I forgot to take photos, but here is a video from their TikTok, posted yesterday.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· May 23

Finally made it to Book Five of Samantha Shannon's Bone Season. It's all been leading up to this. Started reading the series in March after attending a book signing. Reading with a coffee in honour of Paige. #BookSky

The front cover of Samantha Shannon's The Dark Mirror. The cover is predominantly blue with a gold motif. It depicts flowers and stylised images which may be of Venice.
In the background, a coffee cup can be glimpsed with drawings of faces on it.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· May 21

I'm excited to be participating in the upcoming conference Law &… Reflections on Law and Interdisciplinarity with Early Career Researchers from Ireland and the UK. Date: June 12 2025 Venue: NUI Building, Merrion Square, Dublin Register Here lnkd.in/e2Q5yJ4x.

Program for the upcoming conference "Law and..." Reflections on interdisciplinarity and law with Early Career Academics in Ireland and the UK.

Date: June 12th 2025
Place: NUI Building, Merrion Square, Dublin, Ireland
Programme reads:
9.30-9.45 Welcome coffee and registration
9.45-10.00 Welcome Statements
Ooonagh Breen (UCD, Sutherland School of Law)
Organising Committe Representative (TBA)

10.00-11.15 Panel 1: Law and new areas: expanding the object of research
Chair: Prof. Aoife O'Donoghue (QUB School of Law)
Dr Sofia Kartalova (Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Nottingham): Ambiguity in EU Law: Reflections on the Known, the Unknown, and the Unknowable in the Study of Law and Language
Butch Madikizela (PhD researcher, University of Pretoria): Jurisprudence and Sociology: An Integraive Epistemic Approach [online]
Isabele Vilaca (LLM Candidate, Dublin City University): Human rights at the crossroads: anthropology, power and subaltern resistance
Eamonn Rea (PhD researcher, Queens University Belfast): Law and... something? Conceiving a framework for disgust's relationship to criminal law

11.15-12.30 Panel 2: Law and new methods: expanding the researcher's toolkit
Chair: Isabel Arce Zelada (UCD School of History)
Dr Robyn Gill Leslie (Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oslo): Documents suspended in time: linguistic and temporal challenges to transitional justice in South Africa
Eilís Ní Chaoimh (PhD Researcher, University of Galway): The Methodological Challenge of Legally Defining Neurodiversity
Yang Qiu (DPhil Law Student, University of Oxford): "Law and Collective Memory" in the "Socialist" Global South: Methodological Potentials and Challenges [online]

12.30-1.3.30 Lunch and coffee

13.30-14.45: Panel 3: Reflections on Interdisciplinarity
Chair: Kay Lalor (University of Manchester Law School)
Dr Sejal Chandak (Lecturer, University of the West of England): The curious case of smart cities
Janine Geddis (PhD Candidate, QUB) Interdisciplinarity and the Early Career Researcher
Dr Orlaith Rice (Postdoctoral Resercher, University of Limerick): Briding Comparative Constitutional Law and Criminology: Finding a Home for New Insights
Jiani Zhong (PhD Researcher, Trinity College Dublin): Free Will as an Essentially Contested Concept: Which Conception(s) Can Catalyze Non-Retributive Revolution?
Dr Suryapratim Roy (Assistant Professor, Trinity College Dublin): 'Against Law' 'Law and': In defense of the Legal Essay

14.45-15.45: Roundtable: Navigating Interdisciplinarity: The Stakeholders' View
Chair (TBA)
Professor David Kenny (Trinity College Dublin, Dean of the School of Law)
Dr Blanca Suarez Bilbao (MSCA National Contact Point)
Matthew MacCallum (UKRI) [online]
TBA

15.45-16.30 Keynote Speaker: Professor Susi Geiger, UCD School of Business

16.30-16.45 Concluding Remarks

16.45-18.00 Social drinks for attendees and speakers (costs not covered by the "Law and..." Conference)

18.00 Speakers Dinner

Registration at Eventbrite link with a QR code

Event organised with the support of:
SLS The Society for Legal Scholars
UCD Sutherland School of Law

Eilís they/them@eilymay· May 16

Signing the petition to ban conversion therapy in the EU is easy to do. Like me, you might experience the amusing phenomenon of being called out by the captcha. Is it a hate crime if it's a robot? 🤖 @act-lgbt.bsky.social

A screenshot of the captcha for the petition to end conversion therapy in the EU which reads FagG.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· May 12

Can't forget the photo of me, determined to get to the church ruin, crutches and all. Disabled people do have a right to participate in cultural life after all!!

A person with crutches attempting to open a gate into a ruined 19th Century Irish church in the Mayo countryside. The person is white, had short brown hair and is wearing sunglasses, a beige t-shirt, blue skirt and bright red crocs. Unusually there isn't a cloud in the bright blue sky. The surrounding landscape is mountainous, with rock visible amongst the grass.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· May 9

About to watch the finale of Étoile, and I have loved every minute of it. I adore the character of Tobias Bell, the gay autistic representation we deserve.

Gideon Glick as Tobias Bell in Étoile. Tobias sits on the ground with his arms around his knees. He is a white man with brown hair and a serious expression. He wears noise-cancelling headphones, a red t-shirt, black pants and a black, green and red jacket. He is surrounded by the opulence of the French ballet national - the room where he sits has gold columns and a painting of a man and woman dancing the ballet. In the painting, the woman wears a flowing pink dress, and the man wears a grey skirt around his waist with his chest exposed. Gold adorns most of the room, which is lit by two candelabras.

Eilís they/them@eilymay· May 2

April: many books started, only one finished. Fracturing my pelvis mid month brought my reading to a halt. Currently on the go: Naomi Klein's Doppelganger, Samantha Shannon's The Mask Falling and the Dawn Chorus. Shall see what May has in store for me. #BookSky

A graphic from the storygraph showing @eily_may's April 2025 Reads: The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

Eilís they/them@eilymay· Apr 13

Also. Took a screenshot from Samantha Shannon's Spring Q&A, and I. Am. Anxious. Arcturus is dying isn't he? Or like returning to the Netherworld without the possibility of crossing back over. I can't.